St. Lucia Team At ‘Compete’ Event

Image of Dr. Ubaldus Raymond [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]

OFTEN characterised by its limited natural resources and extreme vulnerability to natural disasters, the Caribbean region was not immune to the crippling effects of the global financial crisis of 2008. In fact, the period following this crisis was one known for its stagnant economic growth, depletion of vital sectors (in particular tourism) and a significant reduction in overall GDP. For a region which relies so heavily on foreign direct investment, the road to recovery post-2008 was no easy undertaking.

38 Get Citizenship

ST. LUCIA’S almost two year old Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) has granted 38 citizenships, after approving eleven applications. This was disclosed at a recent public consultation hosted by the CIP unit in Gros Islet. Chairman of the Board Ryan Devaux, says 14 families and four single applicants have applied to the programme to date comprising 65 individuals in total.

Vendors Owe Council $500,000

Image of Peter ‘Ras Ipa’ Isaac.

CASTRIES vendors who are in arrears of over a half million dollars to the Castries Constituency Council (CCC) could be relieved of some of that debt, that is if talks for a debt amnesty that was broached of at a Council meeting becomes a reality. According to the Council, vendors owed that amount of money over the years, which if collected would go a long way in meeting some of its expenses.

P.M. Reacts To Mass Killings

Image: St Vincent: Prime Minister Ralph Gonzalves

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Dec 2, CMC – More than two weeks after four people were killed alleged by an 18-year-old youth, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has broken his silence on the matter. He told reporters that while he could not comment on the November 13 incident in which the four people, including a mother and her son, were killed by the youth, who has a history of mental illness, killing sprees should not be something occurring here.

500 AIDS Cases Here – U.N. Report

ST LUCIA today observes World AIDS Day with the startling news that it now has the second highest number of persons stricken with the disease in the Eastern Caribbean. The grim statistic is contained in the annual UN Aids Caribbean Summary of the AIDS epidemic I for last year which has just been published. It indicates that there are 500 persons in St Lucia living with AIDS a figure that is topped only by St Vincent and the Grenadines with some 800.

‘Strut for a Cause’ Goes Mental

Image: Some of the models who took part in the show

ISSUES of mental illness don’t usually take center stage, unless, some traumatic/tragic incident befalls a mentally-ill person. The seemingly apathy in the society towards individuals and institutions providing care to the mentally-ill is also widespread. But on Saturday, November 26, staff of the St. Lucia National Mental Wellness Centre, the Police Force, alongside professional models strutted elegantly down the catwalk at Sandals Grande in a fundraising effort towards the cause of mental illness.